
Tonight at 5:30 pm I said a prayer to ask for help figuring out what to make for dinner. It had been one of those days and one of those weeks when I didn’t get meals planned for the week or the day and wondered what I could make at this late hour with my low blood sugar and blank mind.
I peeled an orange and, while eating the sections, surveyed what was in the fridge.
I noticed some good items:
- hazelnut 12-grain bread from Kneaders
- baby “creamer” red and white potatoes
- Brussels sprouts
I put the bread in a basket and sent it with willing hands to the table. I was grateful that the table was already set. That’s why I set the table in the morning when I empty the dishwasher. It means that at least one part of dinner is ready when it comes time to make it.
Then I started some water boiling in a pot and rinsed the baby creamer potatoes. Once the water was boiling, I dumped them in and turned to the Brussels sprouts.
Anna loves them, and so after I turned on the broiler on high and rinsed the mini cabbages, together we chopped off the little ends. Then she put them in a mixing bowl, poured some olive oil over them, and tossed them in it. Then she pulled out 4 baking sheets (well, 1, but 3 fell on the floor in a loud racket that surprised us all) and poured the Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet. She salted the Brussels sprouts and we put the tray into the oven.
Then I got some frozen chicken tenderloins out and rinsed them. I pulled out a bottle of Boar’s Head Deli Dressing and poured some in the bottom of the frying pan, turning it to high. I zested a lime, sliced it in half, and juiced half the lime into the pan. After adding the chicken, I covered the chicken with a lid. After a few minutes, I turned down the heat to medium high, added the lime zest around the pan as well as perhaps a tablespoon of minced ginger, and let it cook for a few minutes before covering it again. I cooked the chicken for maybe 5 more minutes or so. Then I added some mini carrots to the pan and covered it.
After cooking it for perhaps 5 minutes more, I turned off the heat. By then the potatoes had finished, and I had drained and added some butter, salt and pepper.
The sprouts were done after 10 minutes under the broiler. I turned off the oven and left them in so they would stay hot. When the chicken was done, we put everything into serving bowls and ate.

I called the chicken was “lime ginger surprise” because the deli dressing, and just because recipes with the word “surprise” in the name always crack me up. I got a few smiles to match the name.
And you have to say surprise “soo-prize.”
My prayer was answered. A yummy meal resulted, and we had a nice visit together while enjoying a hot meal.